Installing macOS on a Virtual Machine: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

In the world of virtualization, running an operating system within another operating system has become an essential tool for developers, testers, and everyday users. Virtual machines (VMs) allow users to experiment with software, configurations, and systems without disturbing their primary operating system.

One of the most requested setups in the realm of virtual machines is installing macOS on a VM. Whether you’re a developer wanting to test apps or a user curious about Apple’s ecosystem, setting up macOS in a virtual environment can provide you with the opportunity to explore the operating system without purchasing Apple hardware.

This guide walks you through the entire process of installing macOS on a virtual machine, detailing the steps, prerequisites, installation process, post-installation configurations, and troubleshooting tips. Whether you use VMware or VirtualBox, this comprehensive guide ensures you’ll have a smooth experience running macOS as a guest OS.

Section 1: Why Install macOS on a Virtual Machine?

Before jumping into the installation, it’s helpful to understand why anyone would want to install macOS on a virtual machine.

1.1 Benefits of Running macOS on a Virtual Machine

  1. Testing Software: Developers can test macOS applications without needing to own a physical Mac. Whether you’re testing apps for macOS or learning how to work in the macOS environment, the VM provides a safe sandbox.
  2. Access to macOS Features: If you’re using a Windows or Linux machine, installing macOS on a VM allows you to experience macOS-exclusive features such as the Finder, Time Machine, Safari, and iMessage.
  3. Learning Opportunity: If you’re new to macOS and want to learn the system, using a VM is a low-risk way to explore. You can make mistakes without harming your main system.
  4. Safety: Virtual machines act as isolated environments. If anything goes wrong in the VM, it won’t affect your host system. You can also take snapshots before making major changes, ensuring you can always revert to a stable state.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the prerequisites for installing macOS on your virtual machine.

Section 2: Prerequisites

2.1 Hardware Requirements

Before beginning the installation, ensure your computer meets the following minimum hardware requirements:

  • CPU: A processor that supports virtualization. Intel’s Core i5, i7, or i9 processors, as well as AMD Ryzen 5 or 7, are ideal for this purpose.
  • RAM: At least 8GB of RAM is recommended. If you plan on running multiple VMs or using macOS for resource-heavy tasks (like software development), consider 16GB or more.
  • Storage: A minimum of 40GB of free storage space is necessary. However, allocating more storage will allow for a smoother experience and more space for installing apps.
  • Graphics: While macOS doesn’t require an extremely powerful GPU for basic usage, a decent graphics card will help if you’re using the VM for graphic-intensive tasks.

2.2 Software Requirements

  • Virtualization Software: For macOS virtualization, you can use VirtualBox (free) or VMware Workstation (paid). While VirtualBox is a free and open-source alternative, VMware typically offers better performance and features.
  • macOS Image: You’ll need a macOS image file (ISO or DMG format) to install macOS on the virtual machine. If you’re installing macOS Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur, ensure you download the image from the Mac App Store or a trusted source.
  • macOS Unlocker (VMware only): If you’re using VMware, you will need a tool called macOS Unlocker. This tool unlocks the ability to run macOS on VMware, which by default doesn’t support this configuration.

Section 3: Setting Up the Virtual Machine

3.1 Installing VirtualBox or VMware Workstation

  1. Download VirtualBox: You can download the latest version of VirtualBox from the official VirtualBox website.
  2. Install VMware Workstation: Download VMware Workstation from the official VMware website and follow the installation prompts.

After installing your chosen software, we can begin creating a virtual machine to install macOS.

3.2 Creating a New Virtual Machine in VirtualBox

  1. Open VirtualBox and click New.
  2. Name your VM (e.g., “macOS VM”).
  3. Set the type to Mac OS X and version to macOS 64-bit.
  4. Allocate at least 4GB of RAM (8GB or more recommended).
  5. Create a virtual hard disk (VDI format is recommended). The disk size should be at least 40GB.
  6. Once the VM is created, go to Settings, choose System, and ensure the EFI option is enabled (this is necessary for macOS).
  7. Under Storage, click the Empty optical drive, and choose your macOS ISO as the boot image.

3.3 Creating a New Virtual Machine in VMware

  1. Open VMware Workstation and click Create a New Virtual Machine.
  2. Choose Typical (recommended) and select Installer disc image file (iso). Browse to the macOS ISO file.
  3. Set the OS type to Apple Mac OS X and version to macOS 10.14 (or whichever version you’re using).
  4. Allocate at least 4GB of RAM (8GB or more is better).
  5. Create a new virtual disk (preferably 40GB or larger) and choose SCSI for the disk type.
  6. Once the VM is created, go to VM Settings and make sure to enable UEFI firmware. Attach the macOS ISO as a boot device.

Section 4: Installing macOS on the Virtual Machine

4.1 Booting the Virtual Machine

  1. Start the VM and boot from the macOS ISO.
  2. After the macOS installer loads, select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
  3. In Disk Utility, format the virtual hard drive to APFS (for macOS High Sierra or later) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) (for older versions of macOS).
  4. After formatting, close Disk Utility.

4.2 Installing macOS

  1. Select Install macOS from the menu.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions, choosing the newly formatted disk as the installation destination.
  3. The installation process will take some time (typically 30 minutes to an hour). The VM will reboot several times.

4.3 Post-Installation Configuration

Once macOS installation finishes, you’ll go through the initial setup process:

  • Set your language preferences.
  • Sign in with your Apple ID.
  • Set up Wi-Fi and other system preferences.
  • You may also need to enable hardware acceleration for smoother performance. This is particularly important in VMware, as enabling 3D graphics can boost macOS’s graphical performance.

Section 5: Installing VMware Tools or VirtualBox Guest Additions

To get the best performance and full functionality, you need to install additional tools.

  • For VirtualBox: You need to install VirtualBox Guest Additions for better mouse integration, enhanced graphics support, and folder sharing between the host and guest OS.
  • For VMware: Install VMware Tools by selecting VM > Install VMware Tools from the top menu once macOS is running. Follow the on-screen prompts to install these drivers and tools.

Section 6: Troubleshooting

6.1 Common Errors and Fixes

  1. macOS Virtual Machine Not Booting:
    • Ensure that the correct macOS ISO is attached and that EFI is enabled in the VM settings.
    • Check that your system supports virtualization (VT-x or AMD-V).
  2. Graphics Issues:
    • Increase video memory or install the proper graphics drivers for VirtualBox or VMware.
  3. Performance Issues:
    • Allocate more RAM or CPU cores to your VM. Make sure you don’t over-allocate resources, as it may slow down the host system.

6.2 macOS Unlocker in VMware

If macOS fails to boot, you might not have installed the macOS Unlocker correctly. Reapply the unlocker and ensure it matches your version of VMware.

Section 7: Advanced Configuration and Performance Tuning

7.1 Enabling 3D Graphics Acceleration

For better performance, enable 3D acceleration. This is especially important for graphic-heavy tasks like video editing.

  • VMware: Edit the .vmx file and add the line: macos.x86_64 = "TRUE". You can also increase the video memory to improve visual performance.
  • VirtualBox: Enable 3D Acceleration under the Display tab in the VM settings.

7.2 Sharing Files Between Host and macOS VM

Both VMware and VirtualBox allow you to share files between your host and the macOS VM. Set up shared folders through the VM settings for easy file transfer.

Conclusion

Installing macOS on a virtual machine is an excellent way to experience macOS without purchasing Apple hardware. Whether you’re a developer, tester, or curious user, virtualization provides a flexible and efficient way to run macOS on your PC or Linux machine. With the step-by-step instructions provided in this guide, you should now have a working macOS VM. Take advantage of the sandbox environment to learn, test, and experiment with macOS, all while keeping your main operating system safe and sound.